Derrington 2012 thesis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

all students in music therapy is to increase their confidence, encourage creativity and
help them recognise what they have achieved. Taking away the barriers of their fixed
mindset so that they gradually adopt an ‘I’ll give it a go’ attitude, is central to my
work.
The importance of learning social skills and helping young people to make changes is
also key to the work, especially as young people spend much of their free time
playing games on play stations. I have often wondered at the ‘lives’ the players are
given and how they can get up and start again even if they are shot down. Games can
also make students think that they are experts and if they go wrong or mess up they
can hit the re-start button, but, when things do not go their way or they make a
mistake in life, they can react aggressively and need to kick out or hit a wall.
Improving listening and waiting skills, sharing control in a musical exchange, turntaking
with different instruments and making things up in music therapy, whether
they sound right or wrong, can be a rewarding and a positive experience and,
importantly, help students to find ways to cope when things do not turn out as they
expect.
As discussed in chapter one, adolescents find expressing their feelings through music
easier than talking about them. They do not all have a huge verbal repertoire nor the
capacity to articulate thoughts, which is why music therapy can be so effective: it
provides alternative ways of self-expression and communication. The music is
relevant and maintained within the teenager’s cultural context. As Ruud (1998)
suggested, music is related to our experiences and helps build identity. Music therapy,
like the secure base provided by The Centre School, offers students the opportunity to
explore who they are and how they feel as well as developing a good, secure sense of
self.
In school, I talk to students on a regular basis and remind them about their sessions
but many of these young people doubt that something positive such as music therapy
will last. As school holidays approach, this becomes much more pronounced. I
frequently have to reassure students that sessions will continue after the holidays as
many become very anxious about endings and dread the uncertainties which breaks
usually bring. For some it is expected that they will get into trouble and for others the
idea of holidays is filled with fear that there will be nothing to do and no one to see. It
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